THE record books won’t reflect it, but a victory for Tom Scudamore in the Randox Grand National on Saturday, April 11th, would be a third generation success for the family in what is arguably the world’s most famous horse race. More of than anon.

The 38-year-old rider, who enjoyed one of his earliest big race victories when Ravenswood won at Aintree in 2002, has described his intended mount in the Randox Grand National this year, the favourite Cloth Cap, as “a thrill to ride.” The combination limbered up for the challenge with victory early this month ahead of his bid to win the world’s greatest steeplechase for the first time.

Cloth Cap is owned by 85-year-old Trevor Hemmings, who is seeking a record fourth win in the world’s greatest chase following Hedgehunter (2005), Ballabriggs (2011) and Many Clouds (2015). Do you notice a trend? A decade after Hedgehunter gave Hemmings his first win, he gained his third with Many Clouds.

Now, a decade after Ballabriggs did the business, Cloth Cap is a huge fancy to add a fourth win in the race. All four horses are Irish-bred, and all four are trained by different trainers. What could be easier?

Cloth Cap’s trainer, Jonjo O’Neill, knows what it takes to win the race, having famously legged up Sir A P McCoy on Don’t Push It to win in 2010.

In fairness, it was ‘only’ McCoy’s 15th attempt to win the Grand National, while Tom Scudamore’s best finish in his 18 rides in the race was when sixth on Vieux Lion Rouge in 2017. It is certain that few of his previous rides have looked so outstanding on paper. Were the race any other than the Randox Grand National, Cloth Cap would be much shorter than his odds of 4/1.

Scudamore said this week: “He is favourite for a reason and a very good reason. The Grand National was the natural race for him to go for after his win in the Ladbrokes Trophy [November 2020]. He ran very well in the Scottish National as a novice and he is related to some good stayers, so Aintree always looked the natural progression for him.”

Tactics

Questioned about the tactics he might employ on the big day, the rider said: “It all depends on the individual horse and how the race pans out as to where you want to be. More often than not, the winners seems to be handy, but at the same time One For Arthur came from a long way back.” Scudamore will have that 2017 victory well ingrained on his memory. The winner was trained by his father Peter’s partner Lucinda Russell.

Scudamore continues: “I was 18 when I first rode in the race and probably too excited, but since then I have tried to concentrate on the challenges each fence presents you. You sometimes go there with horses you think are tailor made for it and for some reason it doesn’t work out. For other horses, it can really make them.

“Vieux Lion Rouge wasn’t actually a great jumper until he went over the National fences – it really made a man of him. Cloth Cap has run in big handicaps and he has the maturity and braveness to go and do it. Until he actually has you can never be sure, but he certainly shows all the right attributes.

“I learnt plenty riding Blowing Wind and Vieux Lion Rouge, both real National experts. Vieux Lion Rouge has jumped more National fences than just about any other horse in history, so I learnt plenty riding him.

Great ride

“Soll was also a great ride, as was The Package. I have been in contention crossing the Melling Road the final time on a few occasions, but unfortunately every time it was a little bit too far for the horse. You just have to go and ride it like a four and a quarter mile chase. You can’t get too carried away because it’s the Grand National.

“The course executive has done a really brilliant job in recent years. Everything involved with horse welfare, not just the fences but other things such as the wash down areas, has been really thought through and done correctly. The race is a slightly different challenge to how it was in the past but is still very unique and you have to ride it accordingly.

“It is still a unique challenge but it is fairer than it was say nine years ago.”

The Scudamore family has a fantastic connection to Aintree. His grandfather Michael won the race in 1959 as a jockey on Oxo. Peter Scudamore, an eight-time champion jockey, won four Welsh Grand Nationals and two Scottish Nationals, but Aintree eluded him as a rider. He was assistant trainer to Nigel Twiston-Davies when Earth Summit won the race in 1998.

Ultimate pinnacle

What would winning the Randox Grand National mean to him? Scudamore was unequivocal with his answer. “It would be the ultimate pinnacle of my career up to that point. It is the race that you want to be involved in, and growing up it is the race that I wanted to win most. It doesn’t add any more pressure on to it having spent your whole career trying to win it, but it would just be the pinnacle as far as I am concerned.”

Scudamore has been very lucky at the annual Aintree Festival meeting and, among the winners of big races over the few days, he has enjoyed success on Thistlecrack (Grade 1), Mr Big Shot (Grade 3), Doctor Harper (Grade 3), Dynaste (Grade 2), Madison Du Berlais (Grade 2), and Ravenswood.